RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- For today’s pharmaceutical companies, their medical information call centers often act as their voice to customers. Because they disseminate valuable information to physicians and patients, they must maintain peak performance and remain compliant. New research by Cutting Edge Information aims to help call center managers assess their operations, increase efficiency and generate a bigger impact.

The study, “Medical Information Teams and Call Center Management” found that a very low percentage of medical information teams measure call center performance metrics that could be used to improve efficiency. Instead, 79% of the surveyed call centers focus on inbound call volumes, while 68% of them measure inquiry turn-around times. Often, surveyed companies use only these metrics as the sole basis for their operational plans.

While call volume and turn-around times do indicate the call center’s efficacy to upper management, other metrics are often better suited to aid overall improvement. Customer satisfaction and average hold times, measured by 52% and 45% of surveyed companies, respectively, also demonstrate a call center’s performance. Combined with other commonly tracked metrics, these other metrics provide a more robust picture of overall call center performance.

“Most top companies pick four or five key performance indicators on which to focus because many metrics depend directly on others,” said Ryan McGuire, Research Team Leader at Cutting Edge Information. “Customer satisfaction, for instance, results from speed of response, on-hold time and call quality. The key is to find and track the metrics that drive the most improved performance.”